Image Analysis of Olfactory Responses in the Procerebrum of the Terrestrial Slug Limax Marginatus

Neural oscillations have been found to occur in the olfactory centers of some vertebrates and invertebrates, including the procerebrum of the terrestrial slug Limax marginatus. Using optical recording with the potential-sensitive dye di-4-ANEPPS, we analyzed the spatiotemporal pattern of procerebral neural activities in response to odorants applied to an in vitro brain-superior tentacle preparation. The odor of rat chow, on which the slugs were normally fed, increased the frequency of the oscillation. Garlic odor, which induced aversive behavior in the slug, caused a transient increase in oscillation frequency during stimulation, followed by a second increase in oscillation frequency when the stimulus was terminated. Wave propagation from the distal to the proximal region of the procerebrum was accelerated in parallel with modulation of the frequency. The cycle-by-cycle average of the optical signals showed that a large area of the cerebral ganglia, including the procerebrum, was depolarized during the initial increase in frequency. During the second increase, however, the net depolarization was most prominent in the terminal mass of the procerebrum. These results suggest that the level of depolarization generated by interactions among the neurites projecting to the terminal mass, such as the neurites of the nonbursting neurons, may control neural oscillations in the procerebrum.